60IN60 Day 17 - Wed Jan 20

It's Day 17 and we're in Genesis 25.

One thing that's important as we read daily: being eager to hear Him speak to you. Go into your reading expectant that God desires to share something with you.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - The fact that Abraham had concubines is an uncomfortable truth.  It's one to wrestle with.

Help:
- Verse 6 - Given the larger life story of Abraham, we presume that these concubines were later in his life.
- Verse 7 - Back then people lived longer.
- Verse 21 - This is not to say that God's hand is usually the deciding factor in such things.  Given what we read in v. 26, this is an unusual situation with implications for what God is doing in bringing about Israel.  I believe that, normally, fertility issues are not specifically driven by the hand of God.
- Verse 22 - "If it is so" - She's saying, "If this is from God, then why the struggling within me?"
- Verse 28 - Remember that not everything the Bible describes is approved by God.  A lot of the behavior of the "heroes of the faith" is sinful.  Here, this idea of playing favorites among the children is a recipe for disaster, which is exactly what they get.
- Verses 31-34 - Esau was obviously someone who didn't think through the implications of his decisions.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

Your Questions and Comments:

- 1 Corinthians 6 - "Yes, people would pick out homosexuality because that maybe wouldn't apply to them. But we don't consider greed, idolatry, or verbal abuse, because that may step on our toes or cause us to examine ourselves. Verbal abuse isn't just cursing, it's telling someone they are an idiot, clumsy, worthless, and many other things. I see so many professing Christians speaking horribly about, and to, others on social media. This is verbal abuse. Maybe it's easier to do, hiding behind a computer and not talking to the person face to face. But verbal abuse is in the same list as homosexuality."

- "Gen. 24:14 - When I read this verse and your comment, a true story came to my mind.  I was saved at age 12, so this happened before then (I don't remember how long before). One Sunday afternoon, I was playing in the creek behind our house, and a song kept going through my head.  I don't remember the exact song, something from the church hymnal.  I had been under conviction, and I said to myself, "if they sing this song in church tonight, I'm going forward".  Just hours later, that song was the invitation hymn for the evening service.  I was afraid and amazed, all at the same time. I would like to say that I accepted Christ that night, but I didn't. Praise God for His patience with us.  I never related my personal experience with Genesis 24 until now. And God never ceases to amaze me."